Inflame, a world music fusion band fronted by renowned performer Kumar Das, will make an appearance Tuesday, March 12, at Western Carolina University.

The performance, part of the 2012-13 Arts and Cultural Events Performance Series, will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $5 for the general public and free for students.

Das is an award-winning Bangladeshi-American musician renowned for his mastery of classical percussion music. A versatile performer, Das plays bluegrass, hip-hop and jazz in addition to classical music. He performed at the 2011 memorial celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. on the National Mall.

Inflame melds traditional Indian and Flamenco music and also takes its name from the two genres. Band members are Snehasish Mozumder, from India, on Indo-mandolin; Das on tabla hand-drums; Christian Puig, from Argentina, on Spanish guitar; and Peter Basil, of New York, on cajón (a box-shaped percussion instrument) and tambourine. The music is a translation of cultural traditions resulting in a sound that is fresh and innovative while remaining grounded in musical training and experience. Presented annually, the ACE series is meant to appeal to a wide audience and to bring high-quality, entertaining, thoughtprovoking arts and cultural events to the WCU campus. Next up in the series is author Nikky Finney, who will appear April 11 as part of the WCU Spring Literary Festival, a free event that runs April 8-11 on the WCU campus.

For more information about the ACE series, contact Lori Davis at (828)227-3622 or visit ace.wcu.edu.